Netball utility Katarina Cooper is in line to make her debut for the Central Pulse this weekend after recovering from an ankle injury.
Copper, from Otaki, has missed the Pulse's first two games of the season but comes in to Robyn Broughton's squad for Sunday's transtasman netball match with the Queensland Firebirds in Brisbane.
"Rather than having it come and go, the medical people are just trying to get it completely better and then it makes it easier for us," Broughton said of Cooper's ailment.
"We'll take Katarina with us this weekend and hopefully she can have a half. Again we have to monitor that. Every day makes a difference with these girls. They're fit, healthy, doing the right rehab and steadily getting better."
The Pulse, who go into the match with one win from their two games, face a tricky travel schedule to make it across the ditch, where they have never won an ANZ Championship game. It starts with a red-eye flight to Auckland on Saturday morning to meet the plane to get them to Australia.